K1300s owners, speak up!

[Dan K]

Was the K1300GT a duolever suspension?? I really know jack squat about it. All I know is I could do no wrong on the bike.

The handling and suspension were two of the things that really impressed me.

Yes

[Bigpoodle]

I've seen the K1600 and the 1300GT up close and they are NOTHING alike in class.

The 1600 is like a Wing-pig. The 1300 was a nice compromise of amenities/size, like the Connie or FJR.

The "Wing pig" (albeit more than a hundred pounds lighter than the Honda land yacht) is the K 1600 GTL, which replaced the old K 1200 GL in the lineup.  The curb weight of the new GT (no L) is all of 10 pounds heavier than that of a Connie 14 (a fine ride, by the way, you won't catch me slagging it or trying to sway anybody's purchase decision one way or the other).  It is most certainly in the same class as the 1300 GT (or Connie, FJR, Sprint GT, Honda ST, etc.) and bears a test ride to see whether what it offers is enough to offset the price premium for an individual buyer.

As I recall, the original topic of this thread was the 1300 GT's sibling, the 1300 S.  THAT is more different from the conventional sport-tourers just mentioned than the 1300 GT is from the 1600 GT.  But there's still plenty of overlap in terms of fitness for sportriding and touring with a single machine.  All depends on what feels right to you.

[Cablebandit]

I liken the K1300s as more of a ZX14 / Hayabusa competitor.

ZX14 = trimmed down, motored up Concours

Hayabusa = I guess Suzuki still isn't in the big ST market.  

[Dan K]

Suzuki is relying ont the GSXF1200 (or 1250?) which is fairly well reviewed.

Still want the K1300S, ZX14, Busa type smoothness, stability and unending power in a comfortable package.  Had a Busa for a day in FLorida (e.g., no twisties) and loved it.  The few curves I found were rock steady.

- Dan

[Bigpoodle]

I liken the K1300s as more of a ZX14 / Hayabusa competitor.

That's what BMW had in mind when they designed the successor to the old (c. 1995 - 2004) K 1200 RS and split it into the S and GT lines.  The S was the 'Busa-class competitor and the GT the Connie-class competitor, whereas the RS kinda straddled those categories without excelling in either.  But the S bike is in most people's opinions significantly more civilized than the other hyperbikes (as well it ought to be, looking at the sticker price), and most would say a more natural crossover to the sport-touring category if one chooses to equip it accordingly.  I'm clearly of that opinion, and I'm more than satisfied with the results of acting on it.  

The truth is that none of these categories is an absolute.  People sportride and tour on all kinds of rigs, some of them quite far removed from the generally understood archetypes.  But for those people, whatever they do seems to work for them.  If you like to do more than one kind of riding and think you want a sport-tourer, it's not a bad idea to consider bikes from adjacent categories.  You can make a 'Busa into a pretty good pack animal, and you can do some pretty fancy canyon carving on bikes officially designated as "touring machines."  

If you think something is a sport tourer and it fulfills your expectations of what a sport tourer should do, then it's a sport tourer.  Period.  Doesn't matter what the rest of us self-appointed experts think it is.

[KodiakRS]

How about we judge each motorcycle on it's individual merits and not how it fits into some preconceived class of motorcycle?  

Comparing the K1300S to the fjr/c14/k1300gt group is not a fair comparison at all.  The k1300s is lighter, has a more aggressive riding position, and lacks some of the conveniences of the group I just mentioned.  But neither is it comparable to the zx-14 and hayabusa.  Although the k1300s is no slouch, it's not the outright speed king that those bikes are.  Instead, it has things like ABS, Heated grips, a more relaxed riding position and a shaft drive.  This just happens to be what I'm looking for, most of the convince of a traditional "sport touring" motorcycle in a very sporty package.  

 
I think there are a lot of people who turn their nose up at BMW's because they don't fit into the same categories as the other manufacturers*.  They make a LOT of great bikes that never really get that much attention because of it.  I would rather own an HP2 sport than an 1198SP or RSV4R APRC.  The r1200r and f800r are both great naked bikes, and the f800st is supposedly a great challenger to the VFR800 but you never hear much about them outside of BMW circles.  But all of them have little quirks like a belt or shaft drive that I think drives people away from them, and the brand in general.  I used to think that it was the brand that drove people away, but the s1000rr has gotten more buzz than a hipster in Starbucks.    






*The one exception to this is the ADV category which BMW pretty much created.  

[GilaMonster]

That's what BMW had in mind when they designed the successor to the old (c. 1995 - 2004) K 1200 RS and split it into the S and GT lines.  The S was the 'Busa-class competitor and the GT the Connie-class competitor, whereas the RS kinda straddled those categories without excelling in either.  But the S bike is in most people's opinions significantly more civilized than the other hyperbikes (as well it ought to be, looking at the sticker price), and most would say a more natural crossover to the sport-touring category if one chooses to equip it accordingly.  I'm clearly of that opinion, and I'm more than satisfied with the results of acting on it.  

The truth is that none of these categories is an absolute.  People sportride and tour on all kinds of rigs, some of them quite far removed from the generally understood archetypes.  But for those people, whatever they do seems to work for them.  If you like to do more than one kind of riding and think you want a sport-tourer, it's not a bad idea to consider bikes from adjacent categories.  You can make a 'Busa into a pretty good pack animal, and you can do some pretty fancy canyon carving on bikes officially designated as "touring machines."  

If you think something is a sport tourer and it fulfills your expectations of what a sport tourer should do, then it's a sport tourer.  Period.  Doesn't matter what the rest of us self-appointed experts think it is.

The '02-'04 RS and '03-'04 GT were flying brick motors.  The '05-'07 S is a transverse four cylinder complete redesign.  I had both a '03 KRS and a '04 KGT before my current '06 KS.  The difference between the flying bricks and the new style transverse is night and day.  The flying bricks, in my opinion, were sports TOURERS, and the KS is a SPORTS tourer.  The flying bricks were 130 HP torquey motors while the new style is 167 HP horsepower motors that want more rpm.  The major difference, however, between the two designs is that new style is 100+ pounds lighter than the old flying bricks, and that makes a world of difference in flickability especially at lower speeds.

I regularly ride 1,000 mile weekends, and while the RS/GT was more comfortable, the S is entirely adequate and far more fun in the twisties.  The only downside to the S, in my opinion, is if you have a pillion.  On the S, they will come to dislike you at about 100 miles.

In the end, I agree with you, each style is good for both sport and touring, it just depends which end of the spectrum one likes best.  I went to the S in '06 and have never looked back.  YRMV

[littlefield]

I had always been curious about a K1300S and last year found a used 2010 with 5,000 miles and got it for $13,500. The handling is super stable, neutral and confidence inspiring. You can actually tell a difference in the ride when swithing the ESAII. The power is unbelievalbe, I never had the balls to really whack it in 1st or 2nd gear. The quick shifter works well and is very slick to use. I put an aftermarket can on mine, the sound with it wound up using the quick shifter is awesome. You can get racks that will allow mounting any kind of had case. The only limitation for sport touring I found was the lack of room under the seat for auxiliary electrical stuff. I ended up mounting things under the side pods. The transmission was really clunky. It is suppose to be an improvement over the K1200's but mine was not smooth at all. Ergonomically I had to lower the pegs a little but I'm not spring chicken.
Unfortunately mine got totalled or I would still be riding it (trying to shift quietly). On the bright side the insurance settlement was more than what I paid for the bike.

[Major 662]

No one else to comment on the K1300S?

I love mine.  I prefer sport-touring bikes with a bias towards the sport side, and the BMW fits the bill for me.  I had a Ducati ST3 before the K13S, and the Duc was a bit more nimble, but the BMW is a bit more stable.  I've always said they could replace the handlebars with a metal dial, because you just point it into a curve and you pop out the other side with no adjustments needed.  Then you twist the wrist and it responds with two scoops of pure uncut mach schnell.

For me, it's comfy enough to get me to distant places, but agile enough to make for fun riding when I get there.  Earlier this year, I rode it from Boise to Tahoe, through the Sierras, across the Central Valley to Laguna Seca for the MotoGP, and up through San Fran to Sonoma before circling home.  I used the sport bags (not in the expanded mode) and a tail pack for a week, and that worked well for me.  Mind you, I couldn't bring along the upright piano like Mistersmooth on his Guzzi with the cavernous side bags, but I've found that how ever much space I have, I use it all.

Avoiding chain maintenance with the shaft drive is nice.  I use the clutchless upshifting all the time.  Traction control and ABS are helpful on rare occasion.  The electronic suspension adjustment is nice for long hauls or for tight mountain roads.

[rodon]

Just got mine two weeks ago today at Cross Country BMW, a 2010 with 5100 miles on it. I've added 900 miles already (thanks to some favorable weather) and I am very happy.  



It replaces my 2004 VFR. Sorry to see that one go (only have room for 1 machine) but this thing is amazing. The Remus exhaust makes beautiful sounds and looks great.

[spnorm]

I owned a 2006 K1200S for three years after six years on VFR800's (FiY and the inferior VTEC model   ) and loved the power, relative comfort and high speed handling. What wasn't so good was the feedback from the Duolever front end and servi-assisted brakes; I could definitely ride my a VFR quicker down a twisty road.

The other issues were the engine was rather coarse at high revs and reliability. Warranty claims included the brake servo, front discs, camchain tensioner, air box, clutch, Duolever ball joints and the rear suspension linkage  

I test rode a K1300S last year and many of the issues have been sorted. The engine is much smoother, the gear change slicker and the non-servo brakes were awesome.  The only downside was the riding position which felt very uncomfortable after two years on a GS. I'm sure I could solve that issue by fitting an AC Schnitzer super bike handlebar conversion, but I'll testride a Triumph Explorer and Honda Crosstourer before making a decision on my next bike.